THE MAGNIFICAT

Inspired by the St. John’s Bible at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City

O Madonnina, I am saddened

That I don’t see your beauty

In this wondrous cathedral;

Yes, there is a very nice statue

Of you, in The Lady’s Chapel,

But I am searching for something

That will touch my heart more deeply;

I visit the church day after day

For very close to a week

Before I finally discover you

In an unexpected way:

You are hidden,

Like a sparkling diamond,

On the colorful pages of

The St. John’s Bible, which is

Opened to the humble words

Of your inspiring Magnificat;

I look down, and against

A sea of majestic royal blue

Your glorious gold words

Dazzle my imagination,

And bring me sweet delight;

As I see you in my mind’s eye,

My heart happily swells

With tears of holy love,

And the fruit of the Spirit

Fills the sails of my soul;

Through your silent words,

You confirm my mission:

Giving great glory to God

Through “The Little Way of Love”;

By the power of Divine Mercy,

Yes, my life is born again!

DIVINE MERCY AT MORAINE LAKE

August 1988

It is a bright beautiful morning in the

  crisp clean air of the Canadian Rockies,

We ascend as I drive up a wonderfully

  windy road past babbling brooks,

The two of us are together, in the car that

we affectionately refer to as the “Tin Can”;

After reaching the sunny summit,

  we gently roll into the Valley of the Ten Peaks;

We finally arrive at the large lake and 

  look up at the regal ring of mountains,

Yet I feel slightly saddened because

  somehow it’s less than I expected;

A lodge that looks like a big log cabin

  stands silently like a sentinel near the water,

We decide to dine there and enjoy a 

  delightful bit of roast beef for lunch;

The savory flavor of my sandwich lingers

  in my mouth, as I think about my morning,

I try to cunningly convince myself that 

  I’m not disappointed, but I know that I am. 

Departing for our next destination,

  I wistfully walk towards our little car,

But as I look to the right, I see a

  tar-black hill with a winding trail upon it;

The people look like pilgrims as they

  make their way up the mysterious mound,

Curiosity gradually grows within me as I 

  ponder, puzzled, where the path leads;

So I investigate and struggle up the steep

  trail, tripping occasionally on rock and rubble,

But when I get to the top, I am frozen

  with fascination as I behold the view;

Above me is a diadem of snow-tipped peaks,

  gleaming with the glory of God,

Below me is the pristine lake, and it is

  shimmering and sparkling like a gemstone;

It appears as if millions of sapphires

  and emeralds have melted into liquid,

And the blue-green color of the 

  lovely lake is luminous in the sunshine.

My senses are suddenly soaked in Your

  Holy Spirit’s lasting love, and I feel Your beauty,

At this moment, nothing else matters,

  and I only long to be close to You;

At this moment, I am oblivious to my past,

  and I am oblivious to my future,

I am living in the eternal and

  mystical present of the great I AM;

You are Holy Humility, You are

  Magnificent Mercy, You are Limitless Love,

And with Your divine sense of humor,

  You really are the God of surprises.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES' MORNING PRAYER

Based on the writing of St. Francis de Sales

Dearest God,

I adore you profoundly.

I thank you for the grace

Of preserving me

During this past night,

And I implore your pardon

If I have committed any sin

During the course of it.

I realize that the present day

Is given to me in order to gain

The future day of eternity,

And I plan on using this day well.

Looking ahead to what

Awaits me today,

I now make a firm resolution

To sincerely serve you and

Also advance in holy devotion;

Therefore, this is my spiritual plan:

______________________.

Lord, here is this wretched heart

Of mine, which through your

Goodness has conceived

Many good affections;

Alas, it is too weak and

Miserable to do the good

That it desires to do

Unless you impart your

Heavenly blessing.

For this reason

I humbly beg your blessing,

O Merciful Father,

Through the merits

Of the passion of your Son,

In whose honor I consecrate this day,

And all the remaining days of my life.

O Madonnina d’Amore, pray for me,

O Guardian Angel, pray for me,

All you saints and angels, pray for me,

That the windows of my soul

Will be opened

To the Sun of Justice.

Amen.

THE CRUCIFIXION

In a shadow of deep darkness, the Light

  of the world hangs crooked on the cross,

A jagged crown of razor-thin thorns is

  thrust maliciously into His throbbing head;

Bright-red blood and the fickle crowd’s

  sour spittle trickle into His stinging eyes,

He licks His cracked lips, and He tastes

  the bold bitter flavor of blood.

The Roman soldiers’ wild whips tore

  and radically ripped Jesus’ holy flesh,

And now the sticky crusted wounds cling

  to the weatherbeaten wood and ooze;

Knife-like nails puncture His hands and feet,

  and make them look like cored apples,

His shoulders slump down, crushed under

  the weight of every sin in human history.

The soldiers hellishly hammered the nails

  into Jesus’ flesh, as if He were an animal,

Indescribable pain blasted through the

  bones of His body like dynamite;

He now surrenders His body, mind, soul,

  and spirit to the will of His Father,

He lovingly practices what He preached,

  and He prays for His persecutors.

Jesus is high up, as if atop an isolated

  island, surrounded by a sea of hate,

A cacophonous chorus of insults assails

  His ears, and the smell of sin is in the air;

His mother, living in the dark night of

  unknowing, silently waits and watches,

She kneels in total surrender, while a 

  sword of sorrow slashes her heavy heart.

In the afternoon, Golgotha is enveloped

  in a mysterious murky darkness,

Then, when Jesus dies, the earth quakes

  in violent anger at the murder of its Creator;

Rumbling and roaring, buildings catastrophically

   crash and crumble to the ground,

The terrifying temblor forces the sanctuary’s 

  curtain to explosively burst apart.

That mysterious murky darkness remains

  in the hearts of Jesus’ faithful followers,

Their entire worlds are seriously shaken,

  and they are stunned and stupefied;

But on the third day, the nebulous fog

  of uncertainty will finally dissolve,

On the third day, a heavenly ray of Light

  will come, far brighter than the sun.

THE SACRED HEART

As the Sacred Heart

Beats with thrills of joy,

The new wine of Divine Love

Sweetly surges through the

Thirsty Body of Christ,

Bringing the refreshment

Of the Holy Spirit,

And the gentle mercy

Of our Heavenly Father;

With compassion, Jesus says,

“Let every beat of my heart today

Be an act of love for you.”

OUR LADY'S ADVICE

Do whatever He tells you.

Surrender. Yes, surrender.

Totally. Completely. 

At this very moment.

And don’t worry --

Don’t worry at all!

If you stumble and fall,

He will be there to pick you up.

If you get hurt and cannot walk,

He will carry you in His arms.

He will always lead you,

In the light of His love.

Remember, He loves you.

And I love you, too.

FOLLOWING THE LIGHT IN THE DARK NIGHT

I meditate upon

Your sorrowful Passion,

And my heart tastes

The bitterness of our

Terrible suffering;

But Our Lady inspires me

To have holy courage,

And to live in heroic patience --

Then, Divine Mercy rays of

Red and white shine upon me

And light my path so that

I can follow the Spirit’s lead

And surrender myself to Him.

THE VINE

You are The Vine,

and I am a little branch.

When I am proud,

I stubbornly cut myself

off from you, Lord,

and I remain in self-love,

without your grace

my branch dries up

and my fruit shrivels,

as my soul slowly dies.

But when I am humble,

I remain in your love,

and your delicious grace

surges through me and

thus my fruit sweetens,

as I am born again.

I am just a little branch,

but you are The Vine.

THE LITTERBUG

Ignoramus Incredibilis is his name,

Or call him Litterbug -- it’s just the same;

He wipes his hands on his ketchup-stained shirt,

And drops his wrapper right into the dirt;

A stroll to the trash can is just too far,

So he tosses the bottle from his car;

But here is a fact pondered by the wise,

That Litterbug wears a sneaky disguise;

In truth, he’s very hard for us to see,

He actually looks just like you and me.

THE LORD OF THE PITCHER'S MOUND

A Variation of “The Lord of the Baseball Diamond”  (with a revised conclusion)

Seven-foot Sauron stands imperiously

  like a goliath on the mound,

Wearing his glistening, gleaming armor,

  he longs to be crowned;

His wind-up is Smaug-like

  and slithering and serpentine,

As if he’s been guzzling and gulping

  hot Mordor turpentine;

Brimming with poison pride,

  he frantically fires a fastball of power,

That rings through the air

  as it aims to devour.

But Gandalf hits a flaming line drive

  that decapitates Sauron’s poor head,

This fire-eyed fool paid for his arrogance,

  and that’s why he’s doornail dead;

Sauron was buried on the pitcher’s mound,

  where it came to be known as Mount Doom,

That night there were post-game fireworks

  that erupted from his fiery tomb.

FIRST TRIP

Dedicated to my Father: Circa 1970

Me and Dad were at

Knott’s Berry Farm and

he couldn’t wait to share

his favorite attractions with me;

the torch of his enthusiasm

burned even hotter

than the fiery ashes

of his cigarettes;

but I was like a wet match,

soaking wet,

and Dad had no chance,

no chance at all --

my whole world was

Disneyland;

hot words of anger

gathered in his mouth

like fierce storm winds,

but then he hesitated,

thought pensively for a moment,

and, finally, swallowed them;

with a smile of selfless surrender,

he took my hand in his own

and, together, we walked

towards the parking lot.

THE APOSTLES CREED: THE HOLY MYSTERIES

The Father & The Son: Luminous Mysteries

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

The Incarnation & The Nativity: Joyful Mysteries

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, And born of the Virgin Mary.

The Passion: Sorrowful Mysteries

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead.

The Resurrection & The Ascension: Glorious Mysteries

On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, And is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

The Divine Plan: Merciful Mysteries

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

THE DARK NIGHT OF THE CROSS

Staggering and stumbling

On the rocky Via Dolorosa,

My hands wearily and weakly

Cling to the splintered cross;

A Roman soldier lashes me

With a whirling crackling whip,

Which like a wildcat’s claw

Rips and tears my poor flesh;

My knees buckle and I fall,

My battered head striking the

Stubborn and unforgiving ground,

Forcefully thrusting the thorns

Deeper into my wounded skull;

My soul silently suffers

In the dark night of the cross —

And yet I’m doing this all for you,

Just for you, because I love you,

So dearly, so deeply, so divinely.

OUR FATHER OF DIVINE MERCY

Our Father’s eyes are upon us,

And we are gently caressed

By His compassionate gaze;

He speaks with a voice sublime,

Words of hope and encouragement,

Urging us to remain in Divine Mercy;

He knows everything about us,

The good, the bad, the unknown,

And yet, remarkably, He still loves us;

Then, we humbly approach Him,

Like the repentant prodigal son,

Wearing the tattered rags of sin:

He joyfully embraces and kisses us,

And, to our amazement, we are

Forgiven, and we are born again.

O DEAREST LADY OF LOURDES

As I gently finger the beads of the rosary,

  I touch your warm soft hands,

I gaze into your merciful, majestic eyes,

  And I contemplate your loveliness;

Together our precious prayers mingle,

  And rise up like sweet incense,

Its scent perfumes the halls of Heaven,

  And delights the Lord of Light.

SURRENDERING TO THE DIVINE DOVE

O Divine Dove

of Holy Love

I trust in you;

when my life

feels out of control,

I surrender to you

and let you guide me

where you will,

and so I alertly

ride on your back,

as you take off

like a fighter jet,

ready to engage in battle;

as you twist and turn,

dive and soar,

through the turbulent

and stormy dark sky,

you pay no attention

to the deafening thunder

or the maniacal lightning,

but you protect me

and encourage me

as you lead me safely

to my journey’s end;

when I let you lead me,

I truly experience

the divine sense of humor,

and practice holy courage

and heroic patience,

as I once again discover

Divine Mercy in the dark night.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas Day

Baby Jesus is born,

And through Our Savior

We can be born again daily;

Day by day each of us awakens,

Day by day the evil one tempts us,

Day by day Divine Mercy is victorious,

As we surrender to the God of Mercy,

As we trust the God of Goodness,

As we embrace the God of Love;

Thus, we are born again daily

If we choose life with Him,

So every day can be like

Christmas Day.

SAVED BY DIVINE MERCY

The Fall

Cambria’s tight and sexy little outfit

  Stirred Julius’ powerful lust,

His pulsating passion filled his strong sails

  With a sweetly sensual gust;

Her heart was hooked in an instant,

  As she looked into his handsome dark eyes,

He charmed her with his honeyed words,

  So she thought him an enviable prize.

Dear Father, please make them a creation new,

Forgive them: they know not what they do.

Their glances magnetically locked together

  In a twinkling starlight gaze,

Then both of them were spellbound

  In a delightful and enchanting haze;

Later on that delicious, romantic evening,

  Their heartbeats raced as one,

But lost in an exciting emotional whirlwind,

  Her virginity had been undone.

Dear Father, please make them a creation new,

Forgive them: they know not what they do.

 

The Suffering

Cambria was treated like a piece of meat,

  And was whisked into the operating room,

With people rushing around everywhere,

  She felt a very strong sense of doom;

Then a man came in and introduced himself,

  While he anxiously kept an eye on the clock,

He hurried around as if pressed for time,

  And for her this was a really a shock.

Dear Father, please make them a creation new,

Forgive them: they know not what they do.

Piece by bloody piece was ripped from

  Her poor and innocent little child,

As body parts lay in a flood of blood,

  The thought almost made her go wild;

Cambria walked out in a depressed daze,

  As if someone secretly stole her soul,

She fell fast, into an empty emotional abyss,

  And doubted she would ever feel whole.

Dear Father, please make them a creation new,

Forgive them: they know not what they do.

The Divine Mercy

Cambria sluggishly dragged herself around,

  In the clanking shackles of her sorrow,

Through years and years of depression,

  She dreaded the coming of each tomorrow;

Somehow, and she knew not how,

  She found herself alone in a little church,

And weeping tears of truth and honesty,

  Her soul she began to search.

When we follow the Light of the Dove,

We will always find Merciful Love.

Later that day as she went to confession,

  God soothed her soul with a healing balm,

Her face was flooded with happy tears,

  Soaking in the twenty-second psalm;

It felt as if holy honey, warm and pure,

  Was poured into her lacerated heart,

She discovered the love of Divine Mercy,

  Who helped her make a fresh new start.

When we follow the Light of the Dove,

We will always find Merciful Love.

THE LORD OF THE BASEBALL DIAMOND

Seven-foot Sauron stands imperiously

   like a goliath on the mound,

Wearing his glistening, gleaming armor,

   he longs to be crowned;

His wind-up is Smaug-like and

   slithering and serpentine

As if he’s been guzzling and gulping

   hot Mordor turpentine;

Brimming with poison pride, he

   frantically fires a fastball of power,

That rings through the air

   as it aims to devour.

Recognizing the temptation,

   Mr. Baggins the most honorable,

Surrenders to the Spirit and humbly

   lays down a bunt phenomenal;

The baseball sneaks softly

   down the third-base line,

And Mr. Baggins thinks to himself,

   First-base is all mine!

Then, like a slingshot, off to

   first base he invisibly darts,

And the burglar makes it safely

   because he’s so smarts.

PRAYER OF ST. PATRICK

I arise today

Through a mighty strength,

The invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today

Through the strength of Christ’s birth

And His baptism,

Through the strength of His crucifixion

And His burial,

Through the strength of His resurrection

And His ascension,

Through the strength of His descent

For the judgment of doom.

I arise today

Through the strength of the love of the cherubim,

In obedience of angels,

In service of archangels,

In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In the prayers of patriarchs,

In preachings of the apostles,

In faiths of confessors,

In innocence of virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today

Through the strength of heaven;

Light of the sun,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of the wind,

Depth of the sea,

Stability of the earth,

Firmness of the rock.

I arise today

Through God’s strength to pilot me;

God’s might to uphold me,

God’s wisdom to guide me,

God’s eye to look before me,

God’s ear to hear me,

God’s word to speak for me,

God’s hand to guard me,

God’s way to lie before me,

God’s shield to protect me,

God’s hosts to save me

From snares of the devil,

From temptations of vices,

From everyone who desires me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone or in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers

Between me and evil,

Against every cruel merciless power

That opposes my body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom,

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of women and smiths

And wizards,

Against every knowledge

That corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ shield me today

Against poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ in me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of every man

Who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man

Who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength,

The invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through a confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

Amen.